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This is the seventh of twelve box sets that collects the the INTERNATIONAL EDITION of AKIRA that was released by MArvel / Epic Comics in the US. Each box set includes three of the US released original paperback comic books plus a booklet with the english-japanese translation. The coloring was in charge of Steve Oliff and the lettering was done by Michael Higgins.

Katsuhiro Otomo's manga AKIRA started its serialization in black and white in Young Magazine on December 20, 1982 and is the longest lasting manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. It ran for eight years and 120 parts. AKIRA was also adapted as a full length animation movie directed by Otomo himself in 1988.

Manga artist and illustraton Hisashi Eguchi (江口 寿史) had a conversation with Katsuhiro Otomo that was published in Monthly Bears Club (月刊ベアーズクラブ) magazine in august 1990 and was later reprinted in the book THIS IS ROCK!! that collects articles by Hisashi Eguchi from that period.

Eguchi Now this'd be a perfect opportunity to plug Rojin Z, don't you reckon (laughs)?

Otomo Rojin Z (laughs)? Could you perhaps explain a bit more for our readers' benefit?

Eguchi It's your new original animated video. You wrote the script, and I did the character design.

Otomo As far as OAV (Original Animation Video)s go, I think this one's been made in quite an unusual way. That is to say, writer-led, if you like. Generally a proposal arrives from somewhere, and you have to come up with the goods accordingly. In this case the director and I also came up with the proposal, and the funds. It's not often that the makers get to make the thing they want.

Eguchi The concept for the story is also totally different to most anime these days, isn't it?

Otomo Completely.

Eguchi Which is what makes it so interesting. Plus it feels like one of your short stories from way back, with its own unconventional sort of humor. Word has it it's about an elderly bedridden man?

Otomo Well, I wouldn't class it as social comment. Ultimately it is really just a robot anime.

Eguchi But for you, the animating comes first and foremost, right, the desire to make your own visuals move?

Otomo Well, I was always mad about movies. So I guess over time I've ended up taking a movie sort of approach to what I do.

Eguchi So is it about making something that you're 100% satisfied with? More than in the case of manga?

Otomo ... Hmm, that's a bit of a tricky question actually.

Eguchi Tricky.

Otomo Yes. tricky.

Eguchi Different, isn't it?

Otomo You have to think of them as different. If you thought of them as the same, you'd have no choice but to do the whole thing by yourself. That is, it'd end up being private animation of the sort you often strike in Europe. But that's not what I'm aiming for. If that's the aim, even with manga. you might as well publish in Garo. It's that sort of world, for the most part. If you treat them the same.

Eguchi Well, come to think of it, I suppose it's precisely because they were different that even Osamu Tezuka dld both (manga and anime) right to the very end.

Otomo Exactly. There's something isn't there, about contributing to that kind of culture. A desire to utilize the animators, that kind of thing. The urge, instead of doing things the way you want to yourself, to pull that whole community up with you. You have to think that way, or you can't do it.

ChronOtomo

Welcome to ChronOtomo:Katsuhiro Otomo Chronology

Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋) tribute page that highlights his works and publications chronologically. Born on April 14, 1954 in Miyagi, Japan, Katsuhiro Otomo made his debut as a manga artist in 1973 with Jūsei. More about this page here >>